Anderson new WDFW director

[Dave Workman]

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/6420ap_wa_fish_and_wildlife.html


Westport man chosen to lead WA Fish and Wildlife
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

OLYMPIA, Wash. -- Former Westport charter boat skipper Phil Anderson has been chosen to head Washington's Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Anderson, who has been interim director for more than nine months, will oversee a department with about 1,380 employees and a two-year budget of more than $350 million. The state Fish and Wildlife Commission voted Saturday to select Anderson, following a nationwide search to replace Jeff Koenings, who resigned as department director in December.

Commissioners are recommending Anderson be paid $141,000 a year.

A 15-year veteran of the department, Anderson told The Olympian newspaper that he wants to enhance hunting, fishing and wildlife watching opportunities in the state and to continue making sure the agency uses sound business practices.

[bobcat]

I read that the other day. I'm glad to see he's an avid hunter. Good news.

[DOUBLELUNG]

I am glad to see it. 

[runamuk]

Sounds like a sensible choice for the position. 

[Wacenturion]

I'll reserve judgement, but my gut instinct makes me wonder if much will change at all.  His selection by the previous director to be his assistant and being part of that overall administration concerns me somewhat.  Lets see if he makes some major changes in some of the positions under him.  If not....expect nothing to change in my opinion.  What WDFW needs is a shake up with new direction from new people who manage programs there.  Hopefully he won't be as arrogant as the last one....that will be a start.

Figured that might happen, although early on I thought I read where the Commission told him he would not be considered....might be mistaken though.

[bearpaw]

I'll reserve judgement, but my gut instinct makes me wonder if much will change at all.  His selection by the previous director to be his assistant and being part of that overall administration concerns me somewhat.  Lets see if he makes some major changes in some of the positions under him.  If not....expect nothing to change in my opinion.  What WDFW needs is a shake up with new direction from new people who manage programs there.  Hopefully he won't be as arrogant as the last one....that will be a start.

Figured that might happen, although early on I thought I read where the Commission told him he would not be considered....might be mistaken though.

  I have the same instincts on this, however, let's cross our fingers that he will now step out of the shell since he is now the man in charge. 

The fact that he had a fishing business that depended on sportsmens dollars is a plus.

[bearpaw]

One thing that I forgot to mention, at the August Wildlife Commission meeting I thought Anderson was very forthright and seemed to be very level headed compared to some directors in the past.

I can remember being introduced to former Director Smitch at a dinner, he would not shake my hand and turned and walked away. That is wen I knew I was making a difference that he didn't like....

I didn't get to meet Anderson, but my impression was that he is most likely a decent guy trying to do what he thinks is a good job.

[Wacenturion]

I'll reserve judgement, but my gut instinct makes me wonder if much will change at all.  His selection by the previous director to be his assistant and being part of that overall administration concerns me somewhat.  Lets see if he makes some major changes in some of the positions under him.  If not....expect nothing to change in my opinion.  What WDFW needs is a shake up with new direction from new people who manage programs there.  Hopefully he won't be as arrogant as the last one....that will be a start.

Figured that might happen, although early on I thought I read where the Commission told him he would not be considered....might be mistaken though.

  I have the same instincts on this, however, let's cross our fingers that he will now step out of the shell since he is now the man in charge.  

The fact that he had a fishing business that depended on sportsmens dollars is a plus.

Yeah...............I wish him luck.  So many times though the first thing the director needs to focus on is direction, and that means changing the mindset of the agency.   That mindset resides in the people who actually are in charge of the various programs such as fish management, wildlife management, habitat and so on.  Within those programs smaller mindsets exist within programs like big game, steelhead etc.  If the guy at the top doesn't have the kahunas to replace people that have run some of those programs in a non effective manner in the past, then he too is ineffective and the status quo remains.

So many times those in charge don't want to rock the boat and do whats necessary.  The only director that showed some moxie that way was Bern Shanks back in the 90's and he eventually paid the price from getting undermined by those he replaced or those who didn't like his policies, which I might add were good for the sportsman.  The commission at that time sided with those in the agency and used lame excuses to fire him.  Too bad, at least he recognized what needed to be done and had started on the path of replacing folks with those who knew how to do it.

Ironically many of those same Bern Shanks haters still reside and occupy high administrative positions in the agency.  Some have also retired.  Those that remain have expanded their negative mindset by hiring folks just like them to run programs under them.  There's an old dog breeder's saying................

"Like begets like", which means by line breeding (related individuals) relatively close, you set both the good and bad traits of those individual animals in the offspring.  You can apply that to WDFW.  As long as you have some people in power positions making policy that really doesn't serve hunting or fishing interests, then that policy perpetuates itself.  That's what has happened over the past 25 years, with some minor exceptions.... Shanks for one.

Just think we need a new dog in the hunt....just hope Anderson fits that need.  It won't take long to tell.  I wish him luck.

[bearpaw]

good information....thanks

[Skyhigh]

I would have liked to see a selection come from a different gene pool...........

[Dave Workman]

As Wacenturion can attest, I've been a critic of fish and GAME management in this state for almost 30 years. Bern Shanks did rock the boat (and it was good while it lasted), and the people who should have showed him some loyalty, or at least showed sportsmen some loyalty (for paying their salaries!)  literally stabbed him in the professional and political back.

The acid test will be whether Anderson immediately replaces some people, either demoting them or encouraging them to retire or encouraging others lower on the food chain to find employment elsewhere.

We do NOT need anymore "watchable wildlife" wonks.  Screw that program and that philosophy nd anybody who promotes it. What revenue does it generate? How does it benefit the health of the herd? How does it benefit hunters? Does it provide them more time in the field, more opportunity, more game in the bag? What?

We need better general hunting seasons for elk and deer, move them later or extend them with more time in the field (preferably a combination of the two).

No general rifle elk season in this state should begin before Nov.. 1 or end before Nov. 15. This, IMHO, should be non-negotiable.

General buck seasons should run for at least two full weeks and three full weekends, and that includes mule deer, with an end to the general 3-point or better rule except in specific "quality" zones, perhaps the Alta unit and Chiwawa, or perhaps not. This MUST begin in 2010, and IMHO sportsmen should also make this a non-negotiable item.

The general whitetail season needs to be restored to six full weeks with seven full weekends. IMMEDIATELY.

Funds spent on non-game programs - specifically "watchable wildlife" should be re-directed to wild turkey enhancement statewide  and revival of pheasant enhancement programs in eastern Washington.

Last and certainly not least, this state should ...make that MUST ... abolish "Resource allocation" as all it has really done is reduce opportunity overall, drive more than 100,000 hunters away from the tradition, at least in this state, resulting in a requirement for more expensive licenses and tags for remaining hunters. 

Whaddaya think, "Wacenturion," that a pretty good start?? 

================
 

 Hey, once I get cranked up,, I really get cranked up.  If I were still writing blistering editorials at the old F&H News, this would be in print in the next issue! 

[bobcat]

Rather than having longer general seasons I think they should do away with them altogether and go to permit only for all deer and elk hunting. With no general season the permits could be plentiful and the seasons long, and I would think that a guy could draw at least one deer or elk permit every year.

[bearpaw]

bobcat....i understand your school of thought and appreciate it, we all like to see quality animals, but I get an aweful lot of Nevada and Arizona hunters every year who just want to go hunting in a state where they can buy a tag over the counter.....they can't draw a tag to go hunting in their own state.

I also get Colorado hunters who come hunting mule deer in Idaho and Montana with me because they can't draw mule deer in Colorado.

So, I would be very cautious about recommending a statewide draw.

[bearpaw]

Dave....I would love to see as liberal of late seasons as possible as long as we don't over harvest bucks and bulls, I think that could easily happen in this state....so for that reason I think we would need to be careful.

I totally agree with you on resource allocation. It is counter productive for bringing hunters into the sports. I think it got started by greedy traditionalists who want to keep their sport to themselves.....

One year in Idaho they abolished modern projectiles all together for muzzleloader hunting, we couldn't hardly kill deer with round balls, many got away, some we finished off by knifing them, one of my hunters quit hunting after wounding 4 bucks, he couldn't stand the thought of wounding another buck. Wasn't his fault, it was just a poor law.

I am glad to see that we can use jacketed bullets again in WA. That should result in cleaner kills.

[singleshot12]

This is good news..and what I perdict to be the beginning of a major changeover within the dept.